At the beginning of each semester, I like to introduce myself so my students know I\u2019m a human being, not a robot up in an office \u2013 \u2018I\u2019m here to help you, and I was once a student like you.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m into true crime. I have four or five podcasts about true crime I listen to when I\u2019m driving to and from work, exercising, cleaning, traveling \u2026 I also love fishing. I\u2019m no expert, but it\u2019s really relaxing. And I\u2019m an avid reader. I usually read at least one book a week, if not two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I go to bed really early, and I get up really early. I tell my students, \u2018You have my phone number, but if you text me after 9 o\u2019clock at night, it\u2019s not happening.\u2019 But then we\u2019re up at like 5:15, 5:30 a.m.. I ruined my sleep at college, but now I\u2019m systematic about my schedule and sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe in a good sleep schedule so much that one of the first things I say to students who tell me they\u2019re struggling is, \u2018Tell me your schedule.\u2019 Sometimes the problem is in their sleeping schedule, so I encourage them to get on a sort of 9-to-5 plan with a full eight hours of sleep per night. We work up schedules that factor in their sleep, studying and classes as well as free time for socializing and fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some students, not much has changed. For others, there has been a difficulty in reaching out for help. We\u2019ve always had an environment where if a student seems like they\u2019re struggling, an instructor will reach out to Dr. Russ and me, and we\u2019ll connect with the student to get to the root of the issue. We let the students know we\u2019re here. They have my cell phone number; they have Dr. Russ\u2019s cell phone number. And they can email us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We purchased a service for texting students, so we can send reminders, because with some students, they weren\u2019t doing emails, they weren\u2019t doing work, but they were on their phones. When students are in need, we want to meet them where they are and make contact in the ways they are most likely to respond and engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think there\u2019s been more of a conscious effort across the entire department of being aware of when students are showing warning signs and letting us know really soon that there\u2019s a problem so that we can help the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With job shadowing, I\u2019ve seen students have aha moments when they come back from those experiences. \u00ad\u00adI had one student come back who shadowed management saying, \u2018I loved every second of it, but I don\u2019t want to manage yet, I\u2019m not ready.\u2019 He realized the path he needed to take to prepare for management, but he realized, at 18, he wasn\u2019t ready. That\u2019s where our curriculum can help the student and job shadowing served one of its purposes — to encourage engagement and appreciation of the course content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example is one student who was really unsure of what she wanted. Multiple employers came in to talk in our 490 class about their jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then she did exactly what my goal is for the students: She made a professional connection with the person from the company she was interested in, networked and met others at the organization. She shadowed with them to make sure she understood the work the company performed, and she got an internship. She figured out what she wanted from shadowing and classes. And in the end, she got it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw this quote the other day, \u2018It\u2019s not job boards that get people jobs, it\u2019s people that get people jobs.\u2019 We\u2019re trying to tell our students that it\u2019s who you know. And, in many ways, job searching is pretty much the opposite of what we\u2019ve ever been taught about being polite. It\u2019s bragging on yourself a little bit. It\u2019s asking people for help. It\u2019s all these things that make us uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n